An enterprise uses a supply chain to transform and move a product or service from one or more suppliers (entities, partners or companies) to a customer in a manufacturing process. The supply chain is a system that can involve various organizations and people inside and outside of the enterprise. Additionally, the supply chain can utilize technologies, activities, and information to transform natural resources, raw materials and components from the one or more suppliers into a finished product that can be delivered to customer.
As the product makes its way through the supply chain, the enterprise may move the product between various suppliers. The suppliers can share product related data along the supply chain. However, the suppliers may want to maintain the confidentiality of information related to the product movement and transformation as the enterprise moves the product between suppliers. This is particularly relevant in an ad hoc supply chain with dynamically changing suppliers. The enterprise can determine the trade-off between the need to share information along the supply chain and the non-proliferation of confidential information to competitors or others outside of the supply chain. Sharing information between suppliers along the supply chain can result in each supplier providing additional services that benefit the manufacture of the product. The sharing of information can also result in manufacturing process optimizations and improvements resulting in reduced manufacturing costs.